Machine for inlaying rubber yarn in rib fabric



March 24, 1936. w. LARKIN MACHINE FOR INLAYING RUBBER YARN IN RIB FABRIC Filed NOV. 14, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 24, 1936. w LARK N 2,035,324

MACHINE FOR INLAYING RUBBER YARN IN RIB FABRIC Filed Nov. 14, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 filH l A 7" 5 I .46 5 L 54 g 9 III'HIII Z 7 47 Z V:

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L A A I l 55 4 I l March 24, 1936, wfLARKlN 2,035,324

MACHINE FOR INLAYING RUBBER YARN IN RIB FABRIC Filed. Nov. 14, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 1 Q? 1' 65 g g @9 F e Aka? Twig 7 62 I Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Walter Larkin, Norristown, Pa., assignor to Fidelity Machine Company, Philadelphia, la.,v a corporation of Delaware.

Application November 141, 1934, Serial No. 753,048

10 Claims.

The invention includes a machine for automatically inserting a rubber yarn into a rib knit fabric so that it lies between the outside and inside rib wales in successive courses to the extent desired.

The invention is designed particularly for providing elastic garter sections in rib fabric in garments which will serve the purpose of garters, as for example in childrens or in mens half hose, though the invention is not limited in respect to the particular use of the goods produced.

A preferred embodiment will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings from which the advantages and objects of the invention will be apparent.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of part of the machine taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the cylinder cam set showing the needles and the invention 'in place.

Fig. 5 is a section of a detail on line 5-5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a section of a detail on line 66 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section of a detail on line 'I-I of Fig. 6 and I Fig. 8 is a disassembled view of a detail of the rubber yarn finger operating mechanism.

In the drawings I represents the-fixed bed plate of a circular knitting machine, preferably a rib machine of the type having vertical cylinder and horizontal dial needles, which has the rotary camring or box 2 on the usual rotary gear ring which carries the usual dial post 3 to which the usual stationary needle dial is fastened. Surrounding the dial post is the rotating dial cam 4 and indicated at 5 is. the stationary needle cylinder. These and other parts of the usual rib machine form no portion of the present invention.

While a machine with a revolving cam box has been illustrated, it will be obvious that the rubber yarn inlay device is equally adapted for use on the type of machine in which the needle cylinder rotates and the cam box remains stationary.

(On the upper face of the cam box 2 is posiferential slots in the plate. By loosening these screws and by means of these slots the device may be adjusted circumferentially. Secured to the block 8 by screw I0 is a second block I I having a tongue and groove connection as shown, extend- 5 ing radially of the machine. By loosening screw Ill the device, including the clamp and cutter, may be adjusted radially of the cylinder, since this block carries both the yarn finger and the clamp and cutter as will be described. 10

The block I I is formed with a flat face lying in a plane preferably at an angle of about 30 degrees to the horizontal and into which is placed the shoulder screw I2 so that it extends perpendicular to said face. The shoulder screw I2 forms a 5 pivot for the yarn finger actuator I 3, which actuator includes on one end a projection or selecting butt I t and on the other end a catch I5 and the gear tooth se ment It for operating the yarn finger, to be described. The spring I'I normally 20 urges the actuator in counterclockwise direction, Fig. 1, against the stop pin I8 set in the block II Also secured in the face of the block II is the shoulder screw I9 which acts as a pivot for the latch 20, the latch and the actuator being in the 25 same plane. The latch has a cut out channel face 2i and in this and surrounding the pivot I9 is a coil spring 22. One end of the spring 22 takes in back of the actuatorvcatch I5 and the other end of the spring takes against the side wall of the. 30 cut out channel of thelatch and urges the same in a counterclockwise direction. Thus the catch 23 on one end of the latch 20 is urged toward the catch I5 .of the actuator. On the other end of the latch is the projection or butt 24 for operating the 35 latch. When the actuator I3 is moved clockwise about its pivot I2 by actuation of the butt I4, the catches I5 and 23 engage and hold the actuator in such position against action of spring I'I. When latch 20 is moved clockwise about'its pivot I9 by 40 actuation of the butt 24, the catches release and the spring II causes the actuator to be returned to the position of Fig. 1, i. e. against stop pin I8.

Parallel to'and spaced from the actuator I3 is the plate 24 held in place by screws 25, 25 taking 45 in the shoulder screws I2 and I9. This plate has the opening 26 therein, the opening having two fiat sides and two circular sides as shown, Fig. 7. Into this, from the bottom, fits the member21 whose flat sides coincide with the like sides of the 50 opening and prevent rotation of the member 27.

The member 21 is tubular with the flanged tubular part 28 cut out at 29. The small gear 30 is tubular and internally thre ed, the bottom being slotted as at 3|. The shaft offgear 30 passes up through tube 21 and the gear up through tubular flange 28, the out out 29 allowing contact between gear sector I6 and gear 36. The yarn finger 32 having the feeding end 33 fits in slot 3| in the gear 3|] and is held in place by screw 35 taking in the internally threaded tubular shaft of gear 30. By means of the slot 34 the yarn finger may be adjusted. The nut 36 looks the parts in position. Holes 3'! are provided in the plate for easy threading of the yarn. Thus by turning the actuator |3 the yarn finger 32 is caused to rotate with the gear 30, the latter rotating in the collar formed by the tube 21. The guide end 33 carries the rubber yarn thus into and out of feeding position with relation to the needles, Figs. 1 and 2.

In addition to the yarn finger and actuating mechanism, the block I carries a plate 38 slotted for the reception of a screw 39 whereby it is clamped in place so that upon loosening said screw it may be moved in a direction generally toward or from the yarn finger. Said plate is also slotted for the reception of a second screw 40 whereby there is clamped to it a block 4| providing a bearing for a bolt 42, it being noted that the slot for the screw 46 extends in a line substantially at right angles to that of the screw 39 in order that the block 4| may be adjusted toward or from the center line of the machine. On the bolt 42 is a clamp and cutter mechanism of the usual type operated by the lever 43 pivoted at 44 on block 4!. The lever is turned against the action of spring 45 by the adjustable arm 46 extending through plate 4! fastened at 48 to the block I The plate 41 is adjustable on block H by means of the slot through which the screw 48 passes. The clamp and cutter mechanism, as a unit, forms no part of my invention, except as used in combination with the rubber yarn feeding finger to form an operative device. The tension disks 49 mounted upon the dial cap serve to tension the rubber yarn as it passes therethrough on its way to the feeding guide 32.

The means for operating the projections or butts l4 and 24, as well as the clamp and cutter arm 46, will now be described. The plates 50 and 5| are fastened and move together vertically to levels 54, 55 and 56 when the roller 52, fastened to the block upon which these plates are mounted, is moved vertically by means of the cam surfaces upon the upper end of arm 53, Fig. 3. The arm 53 oscillates about a center when actuated in the usual manner by the usual chain. The level of the plates in Fig. 3 is indicated by the line 55, at which level the face of plate 50 is wide enough to engage and operate actuator butt Hi to remove the finger 32 from the position of Fig. 1, to an inactive position, the catches l5 and 23, Fig. 5, holding it thus and to engage and operate the clamp and cutter, by striking arm 46, to open, receive and to clamp and cut the rubber yarn as it is thrown out. At this level plate 5| is below and does not operate latch butt 24. At the level 56, the plate 5| engages and operates the latch butt 24, causing the catches I5 and 23 to cease engagement and allowing the finger 32 to move to' feeding poof which are alike in diagrammatic form, with the cams and-with the rubber yarn inlay attachment in position. The usual rib cams are provided except as modified in the manner to be described. At 51 the cam advances the needles so as to open their latches and these are kept open by the guard 58. At 59 the needles are drawn down to allow the finger end 33 to cross the needle circle at this point and as appears in Fig. 2, the end lies in back of the cylinder needles. At am the needles begin to advance or rise. The finger end, by virtue of moving both inwardly and downwardly at the thirty degree angle in going into feeding position, causes the rubber yarn 66 to cross the advancing needles as they rise after passing cam 59. Thus the tensioned yarn crosses between two and engages and is doubled or caught about one of the advancing needles, one end being held in the clamp and cutter and the other end passing through the feeding eye 33. As rotation of the cam ring continues the rubber yarn is caused to be stretched until the clamp is opened to release the end. The release is timed so that the end of the yarn will not pull out of feeding relation. The retracting cam 63, of the usual clearing cam set is normally positioned in a more elevated location than usual, see dot and dash line position Fig. 4, so as to avoid retracting the cylinder needles below their normal plane. This safeguards the maintenance of the yarn inlay at this point. The post 52 of the advancing cam 6| of the clearing course set is adapted to operate a lever 65 pivoted on support 66, said lever having contact with the post 64 of the retracting cam 63. When, therefore, the advancing cam 6| is raised to full line position in the usual way, the retracting cam 63 will be depressed to full line position so that then the cylinder needles will be retracted far enough to drop their stitches in making the usual selvage welt. At the point where the cylinder needles are withdrawn by cam 59, the dial needles are also withdrawn as shown by the shape of cam path 61, Fig. 1, so that at this point both sets of needles are withdrawn, see Fig. 2. diately thereafter the dial needles are again projected so as to enclose, with the cylinder needles, the rubber yarn feeding in back of said cylinder needles. Such yarn is thus laid in unknit between the cylinder and dial needles which knit rib fabric about the laid in yarn for the required number of courses.

I claim:

1. A rib knitting machine having means for feeding a rubber yarn to and withdrawing it from position where it will lay in the courses without being knitted into the fabric by the needles, the feeding position of said means being in back of the cylinder needles below the dial needle level, and the withdrawn position being outwardly and upwardly along a path inclined at an acute angle with respect to said feeding position.

2. A rib knitting machine having means for feeding a rubber yarn to and withdrawing it from position where it will lay in the courses without being knitted into the fabric by the needles, said means moving from the withdrawn position inwardly and downwardly along a path inclined at an acute angle with respect to the cylinder needles to a feeding position in back of the cylinder needles and below the dial needle level.

3. In a rib knitting machine for feeding a rub ber yarn to and withdrawing it from position where it will lay in the courses of the rib fabric without being knitted, means for advancing the needles, means to cause a rubber yarn to cross Immebetween and to be engaged by one of said advancing needles, said means moving inwardlyand downwardly in a path inclined at an acute angle to the horizontal with respect to said advancing needles.

4. In a rib knitting machine for feeding a rubber yarn to and withdrawing it from position where it Will lay in the courses of the rib fabric without being knitted, means for advancing the needles, a yarn finger for feeding the rubber yarn and means to cause said yarn finger to move inwardly and downwardly in a path inclined at an acute angle to the horizontal with respect to said advancing needles, thus causing the rubber yarn to cross between and to be engaged by one of said advancing needles.

5. In a rib knitting machine for feeding a rubber yarn to and withdrawing it from position where it will lay in the courses of the rib fabric without being knitted, means for advancing the needles, means for clamping the end of the rubber yarn at a point outside the needle circle and means to cause the rubber yarn to move from the withdrawn position inwardly and downwardly along a path inclined at an acute angle to the horizontal from the clamped end thereof with respect to the advancing needles to a feeding point in back of the cylinder needles and below the dial needle level, the length of rubber yarn thus moved crossing between and engaging one of said advancing needles;

6. In a rib knitting machine for feeding a rubber yarn toand withdrawing it from position where it will lay in the courses of the rib fabric without being knitted, means for advancing the needles, means for clamping the end of the rubber yarn at a point outside the needle circle, a yarnfinger for feeding the rubber yarn from a point in back of the cylinder needles below the dial needle level, means for moving said yarn finger outwardly and upwardly along a path inclined at an acute angle to the horizontal from said feeding position, and means for returning saidfinger to feeding position.

7. In a rib knitting machine for feeding a rubber yarn to and withdrawing it from position where it will lay in the courses of the rib fabric without being knitted, means for advancing the needles, :3. yarn finger for feeding the rubber yarn and means to cause said finger to move inwardly and downwardly along a path inclined at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal to a feeding point in back of the cylinder needles below the dial needle level.

8. In a rib knitting machine for inlaying a rubber yarn, means for advancing the needles, means for clamping the end of the yarn outside the needle circle, a yarn finger mounted on a small gear, the plane of the finger being at an angle of approximately thirty degrees to the horizontal, a gear sector in engagement with said small gear and means for actuating said sectorto rotate said small gear so that said finger moves in an inclined path from outside to inside the needle circle and back again across the advancing needles.

9. In a rib knitting machine for inlaying a rubber yarn, means for advancing the needles, a clamp and cutter, a yarn finger adjustably mounted upon a small gear, the plane of the finger being at an acute angle to the horizontal, a gear sector in engagement with said small gear, means for actuating said sector to rotate said small gear so that said finger moves in an inclined path from outside to inside the needle circle and back again across the advancing needles, and means to operate said clamp and cutter.

10. In a rib knitting machine for inlaying a 

